With New 90210's Success, Is Melrose Place Next?

Now that the new 90210 has found success (thus that full-season pickup), will Melrose Place be next?

The good news: Series creator Darren Star says, per earlier rumors, that it's a possibility he'd be interested in pursuing and acknowledged that it's been up for discussion. "Regardless of whether they do it or not, whether I'm part of it or not, I think it would be a fun thing to do," he told TVGuide.com. "I wouldn't be surprised if it happened — If it can be put together in the right way."

Plus, the new 90210's success — and the requisite fandom surrounding it — is not lost on Star. "I love it," he said of the redux. "I mean, it’s incredible to see a show that I was a part of, that many people were a part of for so many years, come back, and that the audience still has an affection for the show."

The bad news? No "official" discussions have yet taken place. Despite Star's enthusiasm, the TV veteran, who also created Sex and the City, said only, "There are no guarantees." Yet.

Star spoke to TVGuide.com just before being honored by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) at Fridays' annual Respect Awards, where Melrose Place, which included a gay character, was a particularly apt example of his commitment to organization's cause. Discussing the motivation behind the boundary-pushing that he's known for, Star explained, "I think I try in some ways to always look at the world the way I’d like it to be." He continued, "Not send a message but just say, with a show like Melrose Place, you want to include a gay character when everybody’s in a building in West Hollywood."

"Sometimes the networks are a little behind with the times but I think now they’ve caught up a lot," he reflected. "I think the networks have transformed the terms of how they deal with gay characters and how they include gay characters on their shows."

It wasn't like that, though, when Melrose first arrived. "It was like, 'You can have him, but let’s not hear too much from him," Star recalled. "Or, 'Let’s certainly not give him any romantic relationships,' and that's all changed. I'm proud to have been able to have the opportunity to kind of help that change."

Now that some of the issues Star helped introduced into network television are more accepted, there are new topics to tackle on TV.

What would he include in a potential, next series? "I think people are very polarized right now," he said. "And there's culture wars going on in this country. I think that people have really strong, different points of view about fundamental things. And that always creates good, thoughtful stories."